From classicbooks like A Wrinkle in Time and Time and Again to classicmovies like The Time Machine and Back to the Future, children and adults alike have been fascinated by the concept of time travel for hundreds of years. But is it even possible? If it were, where — or when? — would you go?

The concept of time travel sounds simple: you just move back and forth between different points in time like you would between different points in space. You could jump forward into the future, or you could jump back to sometime in the past.

Exactly how would this be done? Most artistic works that feature time travel accomplish it with the help of a special device usually called a time machine. The time machine features whatever technology has been developed to transport people successfully to other points in time.

But is time travel merely the stuff of science fiction? Or could it really happen? Some scientists believe that parts of Albert Einstein's theories of special and general relativity might allow for the possibility of time travel.

To date, there are only theories and ideas…and hopes and dreams. Modern technology, as great and advanced as it is, has not yet begun to approach the level of sophistication that would allow humans to defy the laws of physics and travel through time.

It doesn't hurt, though, to think about what the ability to time travel might mean. Would you go forward to the future or back to the past? Would you rather see what things are going to be like or how things were long ago?

It can also be fun to think about what problems might be presented by time travel. Some scientists and philosophers are quick to point out that traveling backwards in time to the past creates the potential for paradoxes.

A paradox is a situation which appears absurd or self-contradictory. For example, let's say that you travel back in time to the day your parents met. Some people believe your very presence in the past could alter events.

What if your presence in the past did alter events? What if your showing up on the day your parents met caused a ripple in time that led to them not meeting? If they never met, you were never born. If you were never born, how could you ever exist to travel back in time to cause the problem you just caused?

If that doesn't twist your brain in knots, we're not sure what will! As confusing as it sounds, we hope that any scientist who ever manages to make time travel possible works out these paradoxes in advance!

Wonder Contributors

We’d like to thank:

Emily from SC, Ellie from OH, cole from IN, Carter from OH, and Jake from NJ for contributing questions about today’s Wonder topic!

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Try It Out

Are you ready to travel back or forward in time? Be sure to explore the following activities with a friend or family member:

Can you design your own homemade time machine? If you have plenty of spare parts and a big garage, feel free to make a life-size time machine that you and your friends can play in. If space is limited, you can use your art supplies to design a time machine on paper. Will your time machine look like the contraption in the movie The Time Machine? Or will it look more like the sleek DeLorean car in the movie Back to the Future? Personally, we think a DeLorean would be a pretty sweet way to travel back and forth in time, but you might come up with an even cooler design.

Ask an adult friend or family member to take you to the library, a local video store, or online to watch a movie featuring time travel. There are several to choose from. Pick one and enjoy it together. When it's finished, talk about the problems that were encountered as a result of time travel. What would you have done differently than the characters in the movie?

Pretend that time travel is now possible. Where — or when — would you go? Would you travel back to unravel a mystery of history, such as how Stonehenge was built or what happened to the colonists of Roanoke? Or would you instead travel into the future to see what your future self grows up to be? Let your imagination run wild. Make a list of at least five past and/or future times you would visit, along with an explanation of why. What would you hope to experience or accomplish?

Wonderopolis

Geeky Girl

Nov 9, 2016

if i were to chose future or past I would pick future because it doesn't matter what you do in the future it didn't happen yet but if you go into the past you can mess up a lot of things and destroy the world

Wonderopolis

Wonderopolis

haylee cazares

Mar 17, 2014

The video was really interesting and I love the article. I really hope someone in my day comes up with a way to time travel because I would love to go back in time to when my great great great grandparents died because I have never seen them before. I also would love to travel back to when I was three so I could hug my grandma one more time. I also would love to travel back to last Thursday to hug my other grandma before she left to go to the Philippines.

myah

Wonderopolis

Wonderopolis

Mar 10, 2013

What a great idea, Wonder Friend Maddison! We are glad you're thinking about different editing techniques and what you would have done differently! HOW COOL! We are so glad you're here today-- we hope to Wonder with you again soon! :)

AMOOLYA

Wonderopolis

Mar 14, 2012

Thanks for visiting this Wonder of the Day® and for wanting to learn more about black holes and wormholes, Amoolya! We'll both have to WONDER a bit more about those interesting things, but we DO think they BOTH are GREAT ideas for future Wonders of the Day! :-)

Landon Kushneryk

Wonderopolis

Mar 12, 2012

Happy Monday, Landon! Guess what? You don't need a time machine to visit all the Wonders in Wonderopolis! You can visit any Wonder anytime you like! You can click on the "categories" on the right hand side of the page, or type what you are WONDERing about into the "search" field at the top of the page. With more than 525 Wonders to choose from, we're sure there will ALWAYS be a Wonder you will enjoy! :-)

Clayton

Mar 12, 2012

This is just, wow. So if I were to be walking around in a city and a guy walked up to me explaining that he was from the future, should I think he was crazy or that he used a wormhole? This is a very mind blowing subject. And, since it seems a lot of other people are doing this, I'd like to go back during World War II and see what the world was like.

Wonderopolis

Mrs. Phillips' WONDER Class

Mar 12, 2012

Here are some of the "times" our class would like to travel back to. We really enjoyed discussing this Wonder.
Cameron - I would like to go back to when I was a baby because I could be a smart baby.
Foxx - I would like back to 1979 because it is my favorite year to say.
Jacob - The Vietnam War time because I would like to see my grandpa.
Larissa - When I was a baby because I want my mom and dad to hold me.
Allison - 1944 because my grandma was born then and I would like to see my grandma when she was a baby.
Emily - When the pilgrims were around so I could see and meet them in person.
Max - Dinosaur time so I could ride one.
Sam - To the dinosaur period so I could learn more about them.
Ayden - The time when they had the Battle of the Alamo because I would like to see the generals and learn more about them.
Olivia - I would like to go back to the Indian time because I like the jewelry they make and I want to learn how they killed wild animals.
Molly - I would like to back to 1874 because I want to see Native Americans.
Taylor - I want to back when my dad was little because I want to ride in a tator tot, a little stroller.
Audrey C. - I would travel to the time when the Titanic sank because I want to see what happened.
Kelly - I want to go back to 1976 because I think that was when there is a little ride that goes around Jungle Jims.
Gavin - I want to go back to 1912, the time of the Titanic because I want to ride on it.

Wonderopolis

Mar 12, 2012

All those time travel wishes are AMAZING and inspiring, Mrs. Phillips’ WONDER Class! Thank you so much for sharing them with everyone in Wonderopolis today! We can tell you guys did some really good thinking about "when" you would go if you could travel through time! :-)

Food Allergy Girl

Wonderopolis

Mar 11, 2012

We appreciate your comment to Wonder #222, Food Allergy Girl, and we appreciate your comment to today's Wonder, too! We think traveling back to the time of the Revolutionary War sounds cool! Thanks for sharing with us today! :-)